Synopses & Reviews

Publisher Comments

This brief, provocative reader explores American popular culture from The Sopranos to the Simpsons, from MP3 players to comic books, from Andy Warhol to hip hop. Anyone who wants to understand what Americans are seeing, thinking, and doing in the 21st century should read this collection.

Engages readers with an exploration of America’s popular culture. Readings cover a wide variety of popular media including television and film, food and drink, advertising, music, the Internet, and much more. General interest

Synopsis

International Views presents international perceptions of the U.S. s relationship to the world, as well as views of that relationship from inside the United States, offering opportunities for students to examine the lines of political, ideological, and cultural conflict that can both enrich our international experience and threaten our understanding of America s place in the world.

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Synopsis

International Views presents international perceptions of the U.S.’s relationship to the world, as well as views of that relationship from inside the United States, offering opportunities for students to examine the lines of political, ideological, and cultural conflict that can both enrich our international experience and threaten our understanding of America’s place in the world.

Table of Contents

Preface

Getting Started with Definitions: A Refresher List

1.American Character and Image

Andy Warhol, What’s Great About This Country

Anneli Rufus, Marlboro Country: Advertising

Richard Rodriguez, The American “I”

Patrick J. Deneen, Awakening from the American Dream: The End of Escape in American Cinema?

Jon Gertner, The Futile Pursuit of Happiness

Questions for Making Connections

2. Gender Roles: Images of Masculinity and Femininity

Dove, StrategyOne, Nancy Etcoff, and Susie Orbach, Only Two Percent of Women Describe

Jeff J. McIntyre, APA Congressional Testimony on Media Violence and Children: Testimony of Jeff J. McIntyre on Behalf of the American Psychological Association American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), Violent Television Programming and Its Impact on Children

Eric Garrison, The Simpsons: A Reflection of Society and a Message on Family

Sandra Tsing Loh, Shopworn: Like the Valley Girls Who Made It Famous, the Suburban Mall Is

Now on the Wrong Side of Forty

Questions for Making Connections

4. Race and Ethnicity

Bernard Beck, The Myth That Would Not Die: The Sopranos, Mafia Movies, and Italians in America

Mireya Navarro, Trying to Get Beyond the Role of the Maid; Hispanic Actors Are Seen as Underrepresented, with the Exception of One Part